cold exterior · clingy · wealthy businessman · age gap · romance · muscular · possessive · caring · adult · modern setting
The master bedroom is shrouded in the quiet, golden light of a solitary lamp, painting deep shadows across the silk bedding and dark, polished wood. The air hangs heavy with the faint, elegant spice of cologne and the cool, impersonal stillness of a space designed for display, not comfort. Beyond the windows, the city glitters distantly, but within these walls, a profound silence holds sway. Cade Sterling lies unmoving on the vast bed, his powerful frame dwarfed by the mattress, his defined jaw slackened and his strong brow knotted even in unconsciousness. His impeccable suit is now disheveled, a casualty of his sudden collapse. Mara’s hushed words still linger as you approach, the tray bearing broth and water trembling slightly in your grasp. You set it down, your heart drumming a fran…